Disclaimer: I own nothing of any real value, just Kate and Almira. But I kind of like them so it sort of works out. Although, I would not complain if I owned a slice of Tolkien's enterprise's or earned a percentage of what Jackson probably did after those three movies. But hey, just going to throw that out there...

A/N: So for all my readers and reviewers- the few, the proud, the strong- let me know what you think after you read. Thanks to those who have, I really enjoy your comments and predictions and I love being able to talk about any questions/concerns you have. And for those of you that haven't...come on down! Don't be shy! Did you love it? Hate it? If you would be so kind, press that little button and give me a piece of your mind! Ha, I'm a poet and I didn't even know it. I know that was lame but hopefully you can forgive my strangeness and still find it in your hearts to write a review.

Chapter 18: The Power of Goodbye

"Alas, I fear we cannot stay here longer," said Aragorn. He looked towards the mountains and held up his sword. "Farewell, Gandalf!" he cried. "Did I not say to you: if you pass the doors of Moria, beware? Alas that I spoke true! What hope do we have without you?" (1)

Congratulations on being right, I thought bitterly, then chided my self for being so unfair and unkind. It wasn't his fault and it's not like he meant it as an 'I told you so.' I sighed, if anything it was mine. Although, how I could have stopped a balrog was beyond me.

Aragorn turned towards us, eyes full of sorrow. "We must do without hope," he said. "At least we may yet be avenged. Let us gird ourselves and weep no more! Come! We have a long road, and much to do." (1)

I rose slowly with the rest of the Company, gripping Legolas' hand tightly. We stood for a moment looking about us. The landscape was incredibly beautiful, but I could not appreciate it. Not the northward glen of shadows, in-between the arms of the mountains or the shining peaks of Celebdil, Fanuidhol, Caradhras or the short falls that provided the mist hanging around the mountains' feet. Gandalf was gone and I could not find beauty in the scene before me. Although I knew he would return I was still plagued by the thought that something might go wrong. What if we screwed something up and he did not come back?

"Yonder is the Dimrill Stair," said Aragorn, pointing to the falls. "Down the deep-cloven way that climbs beside the torrent we should have come, if fortune had been kinder." (1)

"Or Caradhras less cruel," said Gimli. "There he stands smiling in the sun!" Or Saruman less of a spiteful prick, I added silently as Gimli shook his fist at the mountain before turning away.

We stood looking about us for another few moments. To our east, the outflung arm of the mountains came to a sudden end and distant lands could be discerned beyond them. But to the south the Misty Mountains receded endlessly and less than a mile away and a little below us lay a mere.

"There lies the Mirrormere, deep Kheled-zâram!" said Gimli sadly. "I remember that he said: "May you have joy of the sight! But we cannot linger there." Now long shall I journey ere I have joy again. It is I that must hasten away, and he that must remain." I felt my eyes fill with tears again at Gimli's words. I swiped my eyes and felt Legolas squeeze my hand. I turned to look at him and he gave me a wan smile that I couldn't return because there was something I noticed in his eyes: pain, anger and doubt.

Not recognizing my hurt shock for what it was he began to lead me down the road from the Gates. Oh god, I thought, he does blame me. I could not believe it. He was the one who had held me back, how could he...I felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach as my grief seemed to grow at this new development. Out of the whole Company I had not expected Legolas to resent me. I shook my head slightly at my naiveté. Why would he not harbor such feelings against me? My misery grew with every step as we continued down the path, passing numerous stone ruins and mounds of green. We had not gone too far when Gimli's cry broke the quiet air around us.

"That is Durin's Stone!" cried Gimli. "I cannot pass without turning aside for a moment to look at the wonder of the dale!" (1)

I heard Aragorn telling him not to tarry and Gimli call to Frodo, and as they (including Sam who had followed his master) wandered off I turned, ignoring Legolas' inquisitive look, and wandered a few paces away to stare at one of the nearby mounds of green, arms crossed in front of my chest, eyes unseeing.

I did not acknowledge Almira as she came to stand next to me. "Have you noticed they do not look at us if it can be avoided?" she said sadly.

"I know. I do not know why I expected otherwise...but I did." I turned to look at her. "It seems it is just us now."

Her face took on a surprised look as she glanced uncertainly behind us. "But Legolas..."

"Feels as they do," I finished, unable to meet her gaze and see her pity.

"Oh Kate," she breathed, before wrapping her arms around me as I stood rigidly staring into the distance, struggling to keep my tears at bay.

I thought I heard footsteps approaching, but they were soon masked by Gimli's. I turned, prepared to leave this place and gave a slight start at seeing Legolas so close to me. I quickly averted my eyes. I could not bear to see his resentment.

"Kate, I-"

"There's no time," I said quietly, yet forcefully and brushed past him, walking quickly to Almira who I noticed directed a fierce glare at Legolas and I was touched by her show of solidarity.

Legolas strode by us to the front of the Company to follow behind Aragorn and I could tell by his stance he was highly agitated. My mind turned to what he had been trying to say. Whatever it was, it could not have been discussed, but I was curious and felt hope rising within me. Perhaps I had misunderstood the emotions I witnessed?

"Here is the spring from which the Silverlode rises!" said Gimli, his voice interrupting my tumultuous thoughts. "Do not drink of it! It is icy cold." (1)

I did not pay attention to Aragorn's response as I stared into the distance, across the lower lands to the woods of Lothlórien. I could not wait to get there, where soft beds and hot water awaited.

"There lie the woods of Lothlórien!" Legolas said. "That is the fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees like the trees of that land. For in autumn their leaves fall not, but turn to gold. Not till the spring comes and the new green opens do they fall, and then the boughs are laden with yellow flowers; and the floor of the wood is golden, and golden is its roof, and its pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees is smooth and grey. So still our songs in Mirkwood say. My heart would be glad if I were beneath the eaves of the wood, and it were springtime!" (1)

"My heart will be glad, even in the winter," said Aragorn. "But it lies many miles away. Let us hasten!" (1)

I stole a quick glance at Legolas and saw him gazing wistfully at Lórien. I quickly averted my eyes when his gaze passed over me. Hopefully we would be able to sort out whatever misunderstanding had come between us before we reached its borders. I sighed again as my mind returned to treading the same circles as earlier, trying to figure out what had gone wrong and if it was because of something I just imagined out of guilt.

We had been walking at a great pace for awhile when Almira sneezed. I stared at her in patent disbelief, feeling Legolas' gaze upon us.

"Do elves sneeze?" she asked worriedly, casting an anxious glance at Boromir and Aragorn as they went to check up on Frodo who seemed to have fallen behind, faithful Sam at his side.

"I have no idea," I replied honestly. I was extremely confused. I doubted it was impossible, but elves do not get sick and people that into nature probably did not have allergies. So what in the hell was going on?

My uneasiness grew as Aragorn returned to the lead and continued on a little farther until we reached a suitable place to rest. It was a little glen at the bottom of a waterfall where a smaller stream had joined with the Silverlode; it was surrounded by fir-trees and bushes of whortle-berry. We made our way down into the dell, and Aragorn immediately set about tending Sam and Frodo's wounds while Gimli, Merry and Pippin built a fire and drew water.

Almira and I were seated apart from the group and I saw Legolas approach us purposefully. "We must talk," he said without preamble ignoring Almira who was frowning at him.

I nodded resignedly and rose, casting a small, reassuring smile at Almira before following him several paces away.

Taking a deep and steadying breath, Legolas began, "I know what it is that has you upset. I will not lie to you and say that I do not feel angry, disappointed, or doubtful." I turned my face away as my heart lurched painfully and I felt tears gathering in my eyes. He gently grasped my chin and compelled me to meet his gaze. "Hear me clearly; these feelings do not arise out of resentment towards you. They arise out of frustration towards my self, out of feeling helpless and incapable. There was nothing we could have done to aid Mithrandir but that does not change my wish that there had been some other way, some other road taken. And as for my doubt it once again has nothing to do with you but comes from wondering how well we will fare without Mithrandir."

"Look, my friends!" Aragorn called, stopping our discussion as we both turned to look over at him and Frodo. "Here's a pretty hobbit skin to wrap an elven-princeling in! If it were known that hobbits had such hides, all the hunters of Middle-earth would be riding to the Shire." (1)

I smiled knowingly and Legolas winced slightly. "And while I admit I am still uncomfortable with the fact that you know the future," he continued bringing my attention from the startled comments of our companions back to our present conversation, "I do not hold it against you nor do I blame you for the events that take place."

I stayed silent for a few moments staring at a point over his shoulder, processing what he said. It seemed too good to be true. "Please, you must believe me," he stated softly and I could sense what seemed like worry radiating from him. He had lived a long time, perhaps it was easier for him to accept such things. Either way, there was no reason for him to lie.

"I do," I replied gently, returning my gaze to his and I decided to be entirely honest. "I just...I just don't want to lose you and one of my biggest fears is that my knowledge will come between us. As unfair as it may be I have come to depend on you greatly and if you were to turn from me..." I took a shaky breath and dropped my once again tear-filled gaze to his chest. Was that too pathetic? Too much to place on someone already under a lot of pressure?

"You need not fear," Legolas whispered, once again lifting my chin so our gazes met. "I depend on you as well."

I was a bit surprised, and I obviously did not manage to hide it as he gave me a gentle smile, cupping my face in his hand and stroking his thumb along my cheekbone. My sense of security and stability returned at his words. Relief swelled inside me as I closed my eyes and leaned my face into his palm, placing a soft kiss there.

"Ugh, not again," I heard Almira groan. I pulled away from Legolas and we shared a smile before we turned and sat down next to her.

"Oh come on," I said, "We could be much worse and I think you know what I mean."

"True," she said with a rueful smile, "If this were a true Legomance you two would have snogged at least six times by now."

"Six times?" Legolas asked incredulously. "However would we manage that on a quest like this? And I assume a Legomance is a romance involving myself?"

"Correct," Almira explained. "Someone somewhere was too lazy to write Legolas Romance and shortened it to Legomance and it stuck."

"Most are terrible stories that have you falling in love with the main character, generally a Mary Sue, the moment you see her because you are just that swept away by her beauty," I added, enjoying the rather horrified look on his face. "And this love is cemented over time due to your unending adoration of her perfection at anything and everything she does."

"Am I to assume I am portrayed as some sort of spineless love slave?" Legolas asked indignantly.

"Unfortunately in the majority of stories you are," Almira replied with a shrug of her shoulder.

"Not all of them," I assured him. "There are decent stories out there with good characterization and a decent plot where you aren't reduced to a mindless mass of hormones by some unbelievably attractive and perfect thirteen year old girl."

"Thirteen?" he cried. "I fall in love with a child? That is disgusting."

"Not to mention illegal in all fifty states," I quipped. At the look on his face, I gave him a gentle smile and said reassuringly, "Look these stories are not real and are kind of flattering in a backwards sort of way. They are just a representation of the author's deepest desires and act as a way for her dreams to manifest themselves."

"Perhaps," he shuddered. "But Thirteen?"

"You know what's weird? If you think about it, we are actually living out a fanfic story. What if this was just some random author's creation? Dear god, what if we have a puppet master?" Almira asked, on the border of freaking out.

"Alright, stay calm," I said. "It is freaky to think our lives are now some kind of backwards fairytale, or at the very least the wildest dreams of the majority of fanfic writers. But there is no way someone orchestrated this. No one who writes fanfic would have the power to send us here. And if there is a puppet master my money is on some God somewhere, be it our own or one of this world."

"I wonder if we will ever find out why we ended up here," Almira mused, looking rather more relaxed.

"I have no idea and I am not sure I want to know," I said quietly, picturing one of the common fanfiction scenarios where the heroine dies before making it to Middle Earth.

Legolas placed a consoling hand on my shoulder, and a silence settled around the three of us that was broken a few moments later when Merry, Pippin and Boromir came over to us, bearing extra plates of food for all of us.

"We are to leave once we have finished our meal," Boromir stated softly, making eye contact only with Legolas, while Merry and Pippin gazed determinedly at their plates before turning and walking to sit with the other hobbits.

Almira sighed resignedly and tucked into the plate of food Pippin had handed her. It seemed they had no idea what to say or do concerning us and I was of a mind not to help them. Uncharitable as it might have been I was not going to make this any easier for them. If they had the audacity to blame me for Gandalf's death then they could be uncomfortable for all I cared...yet I knew I did not have the audacity to act in such a way because I could understand how they felt. I felt it too, the frustration at my inability to do anything, but I still did not want to be made to feel guilty or as if I was somehow to blame. What the hell were Almira and I supposed to do? Tackle the damned thing? I sighed disconsolately and saw Legolas give me a sympathetic look out of the corner of my eye.

We ate our meal quickly and quietly and were once again shortly on our way towards Lórien. I had a strange sense of foreboding that I could not define. Something about Almira's sneeze had set my mind wandering. Never once, in the few months I lived in Imladris, had I heard an elf sneeze. Something was wrong but just what that was eluded me. It could be I was just paranoid. After all, I really did not know that much about being an elf. For all I knew it was not impossible for elves to sneeze. But for all my careful rationalizations I could not shake the sick dread that was growing in my mind. Just as I knew there were questions that needed to be asked, I also knew the answers awaited me in Lórien...and only a small part of me was relieved.

(1) Passage quoted from LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, Chapter 16: Lothlórien.

A/N: Hopefully you have read the first chapter of my new story and are therefore aware of my current predicament. If not the skinny is I am once again without a copy and posted this dinky (but beloved chapter) to appease you until I get home and get writing again. Thanks for your patience! Hopefully you will give my other story a shot and like it (another shameless means to appease you). Hope to hear from you soon!